Jonesville student sings at Carnegie Hall

JONESVILLE — Singing onstage at Carnegie Hall was an experience a Jonesville High School senior will never forget.

Colton Easterday was selected for the 2013 American High School Honors Performance Series and performed as a tenor in the Honors Choir at a concert at the world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York City in February.

Participation is limited to the highest rated high school performers from across North America.

Coltonauditioned in the fall of 2012 for the Honors Performance Series and was accepted after a review by the Selection Review Board.

“When auditioning I wasn’t getting my hopes too high,” Colton said. “When I did find out I made it, I jumped and was full of excitement.”

According to Program Director Lisel Bruscia, acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication, and achievements demonstrated in his application and audition recording. Colton joined other performers from the United States, Canada, and select international schools for the performance at Carnegie Hall, a venue that marks the pinnacle of musical achievement. Finalists gathered for five days in February in New York City to have the opportunity to learn from choral conductor and clinician Eph Ehly, work with other finalists and get a taste of New York City.

“Being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing,” Bruscia said in a press release. “We process thousands of nominations annually, selecting only the most talented performers applying from the United States and Canada. Working with these conductors and performing at Carnegie Hall is a once in a lifetime experience that these student musicians never forget.”

Colton described his experience of walking on stage as “breath taking.

“I was nervous, and honestly, I was afraid of the other talent … but we were all at the same levels,” he said.

Colton’s musical background began as a member of his church choir at Hillsdale First United Methodist under the direction of the Rev. Janet Lee.

Lee said Colton sang in the children’s choir at the church, then moved into the youth choir and is now singing in the combined youth and adult choir. He competed in the ArtWorks Music Competition last year and again this year, where he took first place in the vocal part of the competition.

“He is a well rounded young teenager playing saxophone in the Jonesville High School Band,” Lee said. “He also has sung in the Town and Country Barbershop Chorus when school activities don’t interfere with the chorus rehearsals. He likes many kinds of music. The great thing about Colton is that whatever he undertakes, he will work hard to do his best.”

Presently, Colton has a lead role in the upcoming Jonesville High School production of “Beauty and the Beast” and was recently voted homecoming king at Jonesville. Last year, he earned his Eagle Scout award and throughout high school he has also been involved in National Honor Society, varsity football and baseball, Student Council, and his church youth group.

Page 2 of 2 - He plans to study music in college, with an emphasis on vocal performance.